Need-Merit+Aid



This wiki examines the shift in need based to merit based aid from three different perspectives; this includes the private institutional perspective, the public 4-year university institutational perspective and the state college institutional perspective.

= = The Private Institution Perspective (Jeffrey Shea, Admission Counselor, Rollins College)

Current State In recent years, application numbers have been on the rise. According to the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC), acceptance rates have fallen from 71.3% to 66.8% between 2001 and 2007. Also, a trend towards public institutions instead of private is being seen by about 60% of admission personnel surveyed. Many students are now re-ordering their lists of top school choices based on finances.

Schools are reporting an increase in financial aid applications, along with an increase in institutional aid awarded to and loan amounts borrowed by students. Interestingly enough, only 17% of schools surveyed report an increase in financial aid budgets. Brief overview of the 2009 State of College Admission report.

=Interview with Michael Lynch, Director of Admission, Rollins College= media type="file" key="Interview with Mike - Finance.mp3" width="612" height="50"
 * To address the shift of grant money to academic money: **

** Private institutions are expensive. What would you do to fund your college education?

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Brief History - Check out the link below to see how State (left column) and Federal (right column) has progressed since the 1950s.



There are various reasons for private institutions to increase the amount of institutional aid awarded based on academic performance. **
 * 1) **Higher caliber faculty. Most faculty members are attracted to institutions that show a commitment to recruiting top performing students, most notably institutions with financial scholarship available to those students. **
 * 2) **Higher caliber students.** By offering an award of academic scholarship to high performing students, those students will be attracted to those schools willing to invest in them.

There are also reasons //against// moving money from need-based aid to merit-based.
 * 1) **Less for the needy.** When money is shifted away from need-based aid, those students that need it, may not receive it.
 * 2) **Socio-economic divide - the rich getting richer, poor getting poorer.** Historically, wealthier students can afford private education or to live in an area with well-funded schools, thus better preparing them for standardized tests. They also have the means to provide for preparation courses to improve scores. Those that are less financially fortunate may not have the same means, thus not being eligible for merit scholarship.

How much will it really cost?



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The Public Institution Perspective (Boyd Lindsley, Assistant Director, UCF's Nicholson School of Communication & Erin Myszkowski, Assistant Director, UCF's Office of Pre-Professional Advising) **A Brief History & Current Context **

According to the //Journal of Higher Education//, “the shift of state resources from need-based financial aid to merit-based aid has been remarkable," and that Georgia sparked this trend in 1993 when “its citizens passed a referendum to adopt a state lottery with proceeds earmarked for education programs” including Georgia’s state scholarship program, which funds the education for thousands and thousands of Georgians. It also stated that “since then, fourteen states have adopted similar programs” (Ness, E., 2010). For additonal information from this article in //The Journal of Higher Education,// the entire article has been included here:

According to the //USA Today,// and a study conducted by Pennsylvania State University professor, Donald Heller, "between 1995-96 and 2003-04, institutational merit aid alone increased 212%, compared with 47% for need-based grants" (Marklein, M., 2007).

Additonally, according to the journal of //Educational Evaluation & Policy Analysis,// "as of 2005, 15 states had adopted a broad-based merit aid program, providing a combined $1.2 billion for college students on the basis of academic qualifications. This represents a shift away from a long tradition of need-based aid at the state and federal levels" (Doyle, W., 2006). For additional information from this article in the //Journal of Educational Evaluation & Policy Analysis//, the entire article has been included here: The journal of //Policy Science// published "that recent aid policy that has moved away from need-based aid for low-income students (reducing their ability to find the best institutional match) and toward merit-based aid (that alters the distribution of high ability students across colleges) could foster stagnant graduation rates even with rising enrollment rates that have been observed over the last three decades" (Singell, L. and Stater, M., 2007). For additonal information from this article in the journal of //Policy Science//, the entire article has been included here: Donald E. Heller, Ed.D., Associate Professor and Senior Research Associate for Pennsylvania State University College of Education reviews some details on shifts in financial aid, possible implications and displays some very interesteing data on the trends in financial aid over the last half century. The full PowerPoint slideshow can be viewed here: In //The College Board//, Heller, also recapped state financial aid and access quite in depth in this //Research Report,// which can be viewed here:

Student financial aid policies: Do they promote universal education? Dr. Sandy Baum, Professor of Economics at Skidmore College, discusses this topic indepth with a focus on state institutions, including affects and realities of current policies on minoriites and the current information on college attendess and their associated socio-economic statuses. The full article published for EDUCAUSE, which is a nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of information technology, can be viewed here:

**//Discussion of Shifts in Financial Aid & Associated Impacts on UCF//**



**Interview with Mary McKinney, Executive Director of UCF's Office of Student Financial Aid. **

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Associate Director of UCF's Office of Financial Aid, Jamey Walker, discusses her perspective on the current trends in higher education financial aid at a large public institution. The transcript from the entire interview can be found here: 

Article: **Who Should We Help? The Negative Social Consequences of Merit Aid Scholarships** by Donald Heller and Patricia Marin, 2002 - "Perhaps the most comprehensive critique of state merit aid"

 //**

Current Higher Education More Accessible**// Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education and Melody Barnes, Assistant to the President & Director of Domestic Policy Council discuss the Student Aid & Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA) and other related items. media type="custom" key="5839785" width="119" height="119"

The State College Perspective (Carlos Parra, Coordinator of Student Activities & Leadership, Polk State College)


 * Video Interview: **


 * Polk State College : Conversation with Olivia Maultsby, Financial Aid Director, Polk State College **.

media type="youtube" key="GAiPjVbKBbY" height="385" width="480" Data: State Merit Aid Programs: Responses by Florida Community Colleges (Click on logo to view the full PDF)

Polk State College : Changing Trends in Need Based Aid since 2001

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 * Polk State College : Changing Trends in Merit-Based Aid Since 2005-2006 **




 * Polk State College : Changing Trends in Pell Grant Allocations from 2008-2009 **


 * [[image:graph(5).png]]

Articles: **

Obama Pushes for More Aid to Community Colleges July 15, 2009 By Laura Fitzpatrick (Click Logo to Read Article)

A Push for Need-Based Aid March 16, 2007 By Scott Jaschik (Click Logo to Read Article)

Squeezed in The Sunshine State June 15, 2009 By Paul Bradley (Click Logo to read Article)

500 Students were asked the following question:
 * Student Poll Question? **

If you were the President of Polk State College, which of the two forms of student aid would you want to receive higher funding?





Links: **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 210%;">**YouTube Helpful Clips.**

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= =

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